East Brookfield moves site of override vote

EAST BROOKFIELD — Selectmen decided Monday night to change the site of next Monday's special town meeting, when residents will vote for a second time on an override request to help fund the fiscal 2014 budget for the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District.

The warrant or required public notice of the town meeting calls for the session to be held at the Memorial Town Complex on Connie Mack Drive, but selectmen said the anticipated large turnout for the meeting made it necessary to switch the site to the elementary school off Route 9. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

Voters in Spencer and East Brookfield previously turned down a $2.7 million override of tax-limiting Proposition 2 ½, and the regional school board has since reduced the override request to $2,086,679.

Spencer's share of that total is $1,681,094. East Brookfield's portion is $405,585 because it sends fewer students to district schools.

For the override to pass, both towns have to approve it at separate town meetings and then also approve it at the ballot box in two yet-to-be-scheduled special elections.

Spencer's special town meeting is scheduled for July 25.

Also Monday night, East Brookfield selectmen reminded residents that a public forum will be held at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow by the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission of Worcester to go over the map created for the so-called Rural 11. The group is made up of 11 area towns and the CMRPC has done a survey of all towns to determine similar areas in each community for potential development or preservation.